Ice sizing machine



June 17, 1952 LEHMAN ETAL 2,600,508

ICE-SIZING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1948 TL mi] Harry A.Lehman James A. Baleman William W. Bateman June 17, 1952 LEHMAN ETAL2,600,508

ICE-SIZING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1948 2 SHEETS-5mm z Fig.3. i i? nllll"Fig. 5.

Inventors Harry A. Lehman James A. Baleman William W. Ba/eman B, 2mm

WWW M,

Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE SIZING MACHINEHarry A. Lehman, James A. Bateman, and

William W. Bateman, Mineral Wells, Tex.

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ice crushersand the primary object of the present invention is to provide a machinefor crushing ice into relatively small particles and for dividing theparticles, according to their size, into separate bins or compartments.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a sizingdevice for ice crushers including novel and improved grader soconstructed and arranged as to permit large particles of ice, orparticles of ice that are too large to pass through the grader, to slidedownwardly on the grader to another grader, without wedging or becominglodged between the grader openings to restrict the normal movement ofcrushed ice upon the Said grader.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an ice crushingand sizing machine including a plurality of vertically inclined steppedgraders so disposed as to permit the crushed ice leaving the crushingchamber of the machine to slide downwardly from one grader to the nextwithout the necessity of having to provide an attendant or conveyingequipment for such an operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a sizingmachine for crushed ice and the like that will quickly and readilyseparate or grade ice particles into their respective sizes in a cleanand sanitary manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe aforementioned character that is simple and practical inconstruction, strong and reliable in use, highly eflicient in operation,small and compact in structure, relatively inexpensive to manufacture,and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same isintended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure 1 and with parts brokenaway for the convenience of explanation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the presentinvention, showing parts of the ice crushing compartment broken away,and the device in operation for crushing ice; 7

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 2; and,

Figure -6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the planeof section line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral l0 represents an open top, elongated container orreceptacle that is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel,relatively short, vertical walls or partitions l2, I4 and I6 that dividethe container into a plurality of ice receiving bins or compartments I8,20, 22 and 24.

Detachably secured to the upper portion of the container l0, and at oneend thereof, there is provided a crushing compartment or casing 26having bearings 28 on its side walls that rotatably support a shaft 30.A cylindrical drum 32 having an axial hub 34 is mounted on the shaft 30and one end of the shaft 30 supports a pulley 36 that is connected to afurther pulley 38, on a preferably electric motor 40, by an endless belt42.

An inclined guide table 44 is supported above the container [0 by legs46 and communicates with the chamber 2-6 so that a block or cake of ice48 may slide downwardly upon the table 44 to enter the chamber 26.Obviously any suitable conveying means may be incorporated to deliverthe ice blocks to the table 44 although the same may be applied manuallyto the table.

A plurality of circumferentially and longitudinally spaced cutter blades50 are suitably fixed to the drum 32 and the same are disposedtangentially to the drum as shown best in Figure 3 of the drawings.

A fixed guide plate or panel 52 is mounted in the chamber 26 andinclines forwardly and downwardly toward the drum 32 so that the iceblock prises a shaft 58 that is journaled on the side walls of thechamber 26 rearwardly of the support 54.

A cam 60 is suitably fixed to the shaft 58, or a plurality of cams, andthis cam 66 is adapted to contact the support 54 and swing the sameupwardly as the shaft 58 is rotated.

In order to retain the shaft 58 in a selected rotated position, alateral arm 52 projects from one end of the shaft 58 and supportsahousing 64. A spring urged locking pin or plunger 66 is slidablyretained on the housing 64 and one end thereof is adapted for receptionin a selected one of a plurality of apertures or openings 68 formed inone side Wall of the chamberzt.

Extending downwardly and forwardly from thechamber 26, is an initialgrader or guide track ll! that is disposed partially over thecompartments l8 and 20 and which includes a relatively fine screen 12through which fine particles of crushed ice pass. Pivoted as at 14 tothe lower end of the initial grader if), is one edge of a bathe plate ordelivery chute E6 the free lower end of which extends rearwa-rdly and issupported on the upper edge of the partition 12 so that fine particlesofcrushed ice passing through thescreen 12 will slide downwardly andrearwardly on the baffie plate 16 to enter the compartment l8;

Suitably secured to the side walls of the container i0, is a further andintermediate grader 18 including a plurality of spaced downwardlyinclined and tapered rails or hollow i -shaped bars 80. lTheintermediate grader 1-8 is disposed partially over the compartments 20and122, and the upper rear portion of the grader 18: is spaced beneaththe lower forward portion of the. grader it.

A further bafli'e plate-or delivery chute 82- ispivoted as at 84 to theforward end: of the intermediate grader 78, extends downwardlyandrearwardly, and issupportedon the upper edge of the partition l4 sothat particles of crushed ice passing through the grader 1:8 will slidedownwardly upon the plate 82: to enter the compartment 20.

A final grader- Ed is mounted in the container l1), partially over thecompartments. 22' and 24. The rear portion of the final grader 85 is-'supported beneath the grader l8 and the forward portion of the graderBfiis supportedon the upper edge of. the partition. 16..

The final. grader 86: is constructed. similarly to the intermediategrader T8; and. includes.- a pinrality of spaced, hollow, IT-shapedrails or bars 88 (see Figure 6) that taper toward; their lower ends toprevent particles'ofi icefrom wedging between adjacent bars torestrictthe normal? sliding movement of ice. particles on the. graders.

Obviously, the rails 88' of.' the. final grader are spaced a greaterdistance apartzthan the rails all of the intermediate. grader;

All of the graders are vertically: inclined and the same are alsoinclined relativeto each other with initial grader inclined themost andthe final grader the least. The angular'positioning ofthe graders may beconveniently adjusted, due to their mounting, however, the relativeinclination of the graders remain. constantisincelit. is-dcsired to slowthe relative. large particlesof crushed ice during their downwardprogress.

In practical use of: the. present-invention fine or snow ice 90. willpass. through the screen 12 into the compartment t8; smallice- 92 willpass through the grader HF into the compartment-25} medium size ice 94will pass through thegr-ader 86 into the-compartment'flt, and largeparticles of ice 96, or particles that have not passed through thegraders, will then enter the compartment 24.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary. I

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same isvsusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a crushing machine, a device for grading the ice leaving themachine comprising a vertically inclined initial grader through whichfine ice passes, a vertically inclined intermediate grader through whichcertain sizes of the ice leaving the machine passes, a verticallyinclined final grader through which certain sizes of the ice leaving.the machine passes, and a compartment communicating with the finalgrader and adapted to receive crushed ice that has not passed throughthe said graders, said graders being inclined relative to each other anddisposed in stepped relationship, the angle of inclination of saidinitial grader and said intermediate grader being progressivelyincreased over the angle of inclination of said final grader.

2. In a crushing machine, a device for grading the ice leaving themachine comprising an initial vertically inclined grader through whichfine ice passes, a final vertically inclined grader, an intermediatevertically inclined grader through which certain sizes of theice leavingthe machine passes, a first compartment underlying said initial graderand adapted to receive ice passing through said initial grader, a secondcompartment underlying. the intermediate grader and adapted to receiveice-passing through said intermediate grader, a third compartmentunderlying the final grader and adapted to receive ice: passing throughsaid final grader, and a fourth compartment adapted to receive ice thathas not passed through. said graders said graders being inclinedrelative to each other and progressively decreasing in their angle ofinclination from the initial. grader to the final grader;

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said final grader includes aplurality of'holl'ow, downwardly T-shaped, tapered spaced guide rails.

4; An ice sizing apparatus comprising at least three vertically inclinedgraders, said graders being fixed inclined relative to each other andarranged in stepped relationship, the angleof inclination ofsaidgradersbeing progressively'reduced from the uppermost of the gradersto the lowermost of the graders, said graders having openings therein,the openings in said graders being of progressively increased size fromthe uppermost grader to the lowermost grader, the relative inclinationof said graders being constant.

5. An ice sizing apparatus including a downwardly inclined initialgrader, a downwardly inclined intermediate grader having its upper endunderlying the lower end of theinitial grader, and a downwardly inclinedfinal grader having its upper end underlying the lower end of theintermediate grader, said graders being inclined relative to each other.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Battin Oct. 6, 1843 Hunter Apr.9, 1861 Thomas Dec. 6, 1870 Weed May 22, 1877 Tunstill May 30, 1899Carnochan Feb. 29, 1903 Allard Aug. 29, 1905 Nolan et a1. Apr. 30, 1912Crandall Aug. 1, 1922 Lilly Apr. 1, 1941 Fink Apr. '7, 1942 BatemanSept. 29, 1942

